Apparatus for fume control



July 3, 1928.

v. K. BOYNTON APPARATUS FOR FUME CONTROL ori inal Filed May 27, 1921 I and thus be lost and,as the fumes combine Patented July 3, 1928.

, UNITED STATES PATENT 1,675,403 OFFICE.

VERN K. BOYN TON, OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO PERRY & WEBSTER, INC., 0! NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR FUME CON TROL.

Original application filed May 27, 1921; Serial No. 473,073. Divided and this application filed January 23,

1922. Serial No. 531,300.

My invention relates to devices suitable for the control of fumes and refers particularly to devicessuitable for the control of fumes arising during the thinning operation of paint vehicles, varnishes and similar materials, and this application is a divi sional part of my United States patent application, Serial Number 473,073, filed May 27, 1921. t H

In the production of paint vehicles, varnishes and similar products, the oleo-resinous compound, or mixture, resulting from the heating of the vegetable oils, gums, resins, &c. is thinnedby adding thereto a volatile compound, the nature and charac- 1 ter of which depends upon the particular oleo-resinous mixture employed and the final result desired. i v f The heated oleo-resinous mixture is generally removed from the proximity of the fire into a cooling room and the necessary thinners added. These thinners are generally of a highlyvolatile character and, as they are .usually added to themelt while the latter is still at a temperature causing volatilization, fumes of the thinners are given off in copious quantities.

Among the thinners employed are turpentine and benzene and, it is evident'that it is economically important that the fumes shouldnot be allowed to escape into the air with air to form mixtures having highly inflammable and explosive properties, it is further highly advisable to so control them as to prevent the'formation of such dangerous mixtures. i

The usually employed device. for the thinning operation of products of the described character comprises the kettle containing the hotmeltand a cover for the kettle having an opening connected with a conduit, which conduit is connected with a cooling and condensing device for the condensation and collection of the fumes that have escaped from the kettle through the conduit. The passage of the fumes from the kettle and through the conduit maybe caused by the vapor pressure of the fumes within the kettle or by an artificially enforceddraught. The process of depending upon the produced vapor pressure as a means for moving the produced fumesis dangerous in its application and unreliable in its resultsi and returned to-any particular melt and that which has escaped from' the kettle, and hence, the amount of thinner remainingin the cooled melt is a varying one, as regards different batches, thus producing varying,

Tun' uniform and tin-reliable results.

Previously employed artificially induced draughts have been predicated upon the idea of removing all fumes from the kettle and recovering as mueh'as possible by condensation. This process of operation has man objectionable features. As all batches are not of exactly the same temperature at the time of adding the thinner, varying quantities of thinner are volatilized. There is always an undcterminable amount of thinner condensed within the kettle and returned to the'melt, especially as the melt becomes cooler. The operator compelled to previously calculate the amount of thinner that will escape from the kettle and add that amount in excess in the beginning of his I operation sothat his finished melt will have the desired quantity and, as the withdrawn quantity of fume can not be accurately measured in advance of the operation, his final product willvary in the different batches, or, he must measure the, condensed fumes, if he employs a separate condensing device for each kettle and then add any excess or sufficiency of thinner to the next batch and blend the two batches.

Further, in these artificially induced draught devices, no means were employed to control the admixture of air and fumes to prevent the danger and ex ense incident to the production of inflamma 1e, and explosive es. is v i The device ofhmy invention presents a means whereby all of the above and other difficulties may be overcome and whereby the thinning operation may be performed easily, economically and safely with the production of nniform jand controlled results. My invention is based upon the principle of so controlling the fumes within the kettle mation of inflammable and explosive mixa series'of extended bolts 11, 11.

ture and to reduce to a minimum the amount of fumes incident to the saturation of the admixed air.

It is evident that ifpractically all of the volatilized thinner be returned to the melt during the thinning operation, the operator can accurately determine the amount of thinner to be added to produce the desired result. It is further evident that it will obviate the necessity of using quantities of thinner largely in excess of that desired in the finished result.

It is further evident that uniform results can be obtained from repeated batches and that these results can be controlled by the initial addition of definite quantities of thinner.

The device of my invention allows the production of all of these desirable results and, therefore, presents a newfvaluable and useful means for accomplishing the thinning of the materials mentioned.

I have discovered that if the draught upon the kettle be properly controlled to balance. the volume of produced fume, air can be admitted into the kettle below the cover in restricted and controlled quantities and in necessary dilution to avoid explosive mixtures and that the fume will be maintained within the kettle. or adjacent thereto,

until practically all of it has reached the condensing point, thereby being returned to the batch and also preventing the escape of any considerable quantity of fume, thus removing the danger of the production of fires or explosions from overflow of fume.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating one form of a device of my invention, similar parts are designated by similar numerals.

Figure 1 is a front plan view of one form of my device.

Figure 2 is a view through the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

The device of my invention, shown in the accompanying drawings, comprises a kettle 10, around the upper periphery of which is The kettle carries a removable cover 12, having an extended annular flange 1'3 and a series of flanges 14, 1 1 upon its inner face. The cover 12 has a thermometer opening 15 and the funnel opening 16, which can be closed by the pivoted covers 17 and 18 respectively. The kettle cover has the operating'openi-ng 1'9, capable of being closed by the hinged door 20. The cover 12 has the fume open ing 21. Attached to, and supported by. the cover 12 1s a semi-spherical member 22, having an opening 23 corresponding to the fume opening 21 of the cover. Supported by the member 22, and revoluble therein, is a hollow spherical member 24 having a lower opening 25 and an upper opening 26 within the flange 27. The two members 22 and 24: thus form a revoluble joint to allow of the positioning of the members 24, in order that the pipe may be attached thereto. Carried by the flange 27 is a pipe 28, within which is a damper 29, the upper extremity of the pipe 28 being connected with a flexible tube, or pipe, 30, which, in turn, is connected with a source of artificial, or natural, draft or suction.

The operation of the device is as follows The oleo-resinous mixture and the thinners are added to the kettle 10 through the operating door 20. which is then closed, the

openings 15 and 16' being closed. The damper 29 is opened and a draft, or suction, created within the pipe 30, thus having a tendency to draw the fumes upwardly from within the kettle 10. During this operation, air is drawn through the annular opening between the kettle 10 and the cover 12 inwardly into the upper portion of the kettle 10. It is evident that the amount of air and vapors withdrawn through the pipe 30 can be governed and controlled by the-regulation of the damper 29. It is further evident that this introduced air, which is cooler than the evolved fumes, will pass inwardly under the inner face of the cover 12 and outwardly through the opening 21, thus forming what may be called a blanket of cooler air above the fumes.

Advantage is taken of these two facts in the application of the device of my invention as follows The damper 29 is so positioned that there will be a 'moving'blanket of cooler air in contact with the inner face of the cover, so that practically all of the fumes will be held beneath it and, coming into contact with this cooler blanket, will be condensed and fall back into the contents of the kettle. By this control and regulation of the draft, coupled with the admission of cooler air, it is possible to prevent practically any of the fumes from escaping from the kettle and its adjacent parts, such as the revoluble joibnt and the lower portion of the flexible tu e.

It is further evident that such a control and regulation will prevent the fumes from flowing over the top of the kettle with theaccompanying danger of tire and explosion, and that these dangers are also obviated within the kettle or its adjacent parts.

The proper regulation of the damper is readily accomplished by opening the door 18 and observing the operations within the kettle. If fumes are observed escaping through the opening 16, it is evidentthat the damper should be opened somewhat, in

order to admit more air and form a thicker blanket. The appearance of the vapors beneath the air blanket clearly demonstrates whether the damper should be opened or closed, thus presenting an easily demonstrable ClQtGllIlllllltlOIl of the control and regulation to be employed.

By kettle in my specification and claims, I mean any receptacle, or container, suitable for the carrying out of a process for fume production. V i

I do not limit myself to the particular size, shape, number or arrangement of parts as shown and described, all of which may be varied without going beyondthe scope of my invention as shown, described and claimed.

hat I claim is 1. In a device for controlling condensible' fumes, in combination, a liquid-holding kettle, a cover spaced from the top of the kettle allowing the admission of air around the periphery thereof, a draft conduit connected with the upper portion the kettle and means for controlling the draft whereby the amount of air admitted through said space is controlled.

2. In a device for controlling condensible fumes, in combination, a liquid-holding kettle, a cover spaced from the upper periphery of the kettle allowing the admission of air around the periphery thereof, a draft conduit connected with the cover and a damper within the cover the operation of which will control the amount of air admitted throu h the space between the cover and the kett e.

3. In a device for controlling condensible fumes, in combination, a liquid-holding ket- I tle, a cover spaced from the top of the kettle, a draft conduit connected with the upper portion of the kettle allowing the admission of air around the periphery thereof, means for controlling the draft whereby the amount of air admitted through said space is controlled and an opening within the cover for determining the admission of the desired amount of air. 5. In a device for controlling condensible fumes, in combination, a liquid-holding kettle, a cover spaced from the upper periphery of the kettle allowing the admission of air around the periphery thereof, a draft conduit connected with the cover, a damper within the cover the operation of which will control the amount of air admitted through thespace between the cover andthe kettle and an opening'within the cover for determining the admission of the desired amount of air.

Signed at Beaumont in the county of J efferson and State of Texas this 10th day of January, 1922.

VERN K. BOYNTON. 

